Ch 142: The World’s Number One Resort

“Manager Tang, in the past half-month, Treasure Travel sold a total of 526,000 pairs of VR glasses, with 450,000 being the standard version and 75,000 the rainbow version…”

Treasure Travel was trending online, and Tang Huai, after freshening up, headed to the Sora office building like he did every day.

With the continued growth, Treasure Travel had finished airing its Guilin and Qinghai episodes. Both locations are famous tourist spots in China, and Treasure Travel maintained the style of the first episode, showcasing these places in a stunning and comprehensive way. While the Guilin and Qinghai episodes did not reach the same viewership as the one filmed at Great Tang Resort, they still stabilized at over 3%, the highest ratings in three seasons of the show.

“Great Tang saved the show” became a common topic online. It was clear to most that Treasure Travel’s third season soared thanks to Great Tang Resort. In return, Luo Hai TV specially edited a VR advertisement into the peak segments of Great Tang to promote it twice.

Luo Hai TV’s intention was to help promote Great Tang Resort and establish goodwill. However, with the unexpected explosion of Treasure Travel’s popularity, this gesture seemed more like Luo Hai trying to ride Great Tang’s coattails.

Liu Ke was quite annoyed by this, but it only strengthened his resolve to maintain a good relationship with Great Tang Resort.

Treasure Travel remained highly popular in China. Meanwhile, at the CC headquarters, after patient post-production, the CC Forest Moisturizer was officially launched worldwide. CC is a renowned luxury brand, and Forest Moisturizer was their main product of the season. Coupled with Amanda’s previous controversy, the moisturizer quickly gained widespread attention across various beauty magazines from the moment it launched.

While people initially focused on the CC product, they were taken aback when they saw the promotional trailer.

Blue lakes, lush greenery, warm sunlight, and a mermaid princess.

The trailer resembled a fairy tale, depicting a journey through the blue sea, a mermaid coming ashore, and an adventure in the forest. Guided by the mermaid princess’s perspective, viewers felt as though they were exploring a dreamy green forest.

“Did a Hollywood special effects team do this? The whole forest looks like a painting. I dare say this is the best CC commercial ever made, bar none.”

“Amanda’s aura perfectly fits the mermaid princess. Damn, I think I’m becoming a fan. CC’s effects are top-notch!”

“What effects? Don’t people use Twitter or visit forums? This was filmed at Great Tang Resort, and the real place is even more beautiful than in the video.”

“Highly recommend Great Tang’s VR! It would be even better if they could switch it to a jungle shootout mode!”

“What’s Great Tang? Weren’t we discussing CC…?”

…

CC, Great Tang Fruit, and Great Tang VR.

With searches related to these terms, “Great Tang Resort” began appearing more frequently on international forums. This search volume peaked right when the Great Tang VR glasses sold out.

“In the past half-month, Great Tang Resort sold a total of 525,000 VR glasses. Along with the revenue from the fruit sales and general resort operations, the resort’s total profit over the past half-month is 190 million USD,” Xie Yunshu reported meticulously while Tang Huai opened Great Tang’s recent financial statements.

Within this 190 million USD profit, tourism and fruit sales contributed 90 million USD, while the remaining 100 million USD came from the VR glasses.

Great Tang Resort sold 525,000 pairs of VR glasses, including both the standard and rainbow versions. Calculating an average price of 500 USD per pair, the VR glasses generated over 250 million USD in revenue. It’s an enormous sum, and if Great Tang managed its international shipping, the net profit would be even higher…

Tang Huai rarely checked the resort’s financial accounts, but upon seeing the VR glasses’ profit, he was slightly taken aback. He originally intended the VR glasses and fruit to be side businesses, but now… the side business had become more lucrative than the main one.

Tang Huai opened his personal interface.

Host Name: Tang Huai
Current Mission: None
Island Points: 210 million+
Reputation Points: 56 million+
Inventory: [Windmill] x3, [Encyclopedia of species]
Projects Under Construction: [Sora Dungeon]

Now with over a hundred million island points, this is the first time in more than a year that Great Tang has crossed this milestone. Tang Huai felt a bit like he had struck it rich overnight.

After calming down, Tang Huai closed his personal interface.

He wasn’t swayed by the impressive figure of the island points. Though Great Tang’s VR glasses were in high demand, their sales had limits. Considering the price and market demand, annual sales were likely to hover around ten million pairs, assuming the production could keep up…

“Should we expand the production scale?” Xie Yunshu seemed to sense Tang Huai’s thoughts and asked. Currently, the daily ouGreat Tang VR glasses was 10,000 units, which was far from enough to meet the demand.

“Let’s wait a bit,” Tang Huai pondered. The VR glasses factory was already operating smoothly, but expanding the scale would require selecting a new site and building another factory. Tang Huai had initially built the factory to earn island points. Now that he had a sufficient amount, there was no need to mindlessly keep producing.

Limiting sales could also be a marketing strategy.

Xie Yunshu nodded, understanding Tang Huai’s line of thought.

“This is an invitation from Governor Jonathan.” After discussing the main matters, Xie Yunshu handed over a document.

“Governor Jonathan?” Tang Huai was surprised. Jonathan Kote, the governor of Hawaii, was over 2,000 nautical miles away from Great Tang Resort, and they had never interacted before. So why was he sending an invitation now?

Puzzled, Tang Huai opened the invitation.

It had been sent at 8 a.m., and its message was brief. It stated that the Hawaiian government would hold a high-profile party next Monday evening and that Jonathan was inviting Tang Huai to attend. The invitation was just three lines long, containing very little information.

“Should you go?” Xie Yunshu asked after Tang Huai closed the invitation. Governor Jonathan was using the Hawaiian government’s name for the invitation, which carried some interesting implications.

“Why not?” Tang Huai smiled. Since the Hawaiian government had extended an invitation, he had no reason to avoid it.

Tang Huai marked the date for the following Monday. It was currently Tuesday, giving him five days to prepare.

The Hawaiian invitation was merely an interlude. After a brief discussion, they shifted their focus to the construction of the Sora Hotel.

A month ago, Tang Huai had marked out two plots in the Snow Village Scenic Area for building the Sora Hotel. After more than a month, construction was complete.

Each Sora Hotel was a hundred stories tall, with fifty rooms per floor, plus standard rooms, triple rooms, and more. Each hotel could accommodate 10,000 guests, making them the most capacious buildings on Sora Island after Bianjing Ancient City.

Although the hotels could hold many people, they occupied a large area and were constructed according to global seven-star standards. The exterior, which was golden and silver in tone, blended seamlessly with the Snow Village scenery.

During construction, Tang Huai had visited the hotel site twice, and he was very satisfied with the design and appearance of the Sora Hotel. Now that construction was complete, the only things left were the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the purchase of AI staff…

Service AI cost 200,000 per unit, while functional roles like managers, supervisors, and warehouse keepers ranged from 500,000 to 800,000.

The two hotels required 1,000 AI units, estimated to cost around 500 million. Sora AI salaries were settled in island points, and the island now had over 7,000 Sora employees. Salaries ranged from 5,000 to 30,000 island points. This didn’t include street maintenance, vehicle upkeep, and other expenses. In total, Sora Island’s monthly fixed costs amounted to about 100 million points.

As Sora Island continued to develop, these costs would keep increasing.

Tang Huai sighed in frustration.

Moments ago, he had felt like a rich man overnight, but after calculating expenses, he realized he was still practically broke.

Feeling helpless, Tang Huai got back to work to keep the revenue flowing.

Inspecting the island, cutting ribbons for the hotels, and managing the limited sales of Great Tang VR glasses… the next two days were fulfilling for Tang Huai.

“Splash!”

On the third day, at nine in the evening, Tang Huai stood on the southern side of Sora Port. Wearing a black diving suit, he did a quick warm-up routine on the shore and then jumped into the water without hesitation. The cool seawater washed over his ears, giving him a deep sense of clarity.

Moonlight poured over the sea, cloaking the Pacific Ocean in a layer of silver. Tang Huai swam around the nearby waters, then set out toward the open sea.

With the help of the transparent shark, Tang Huai swam smoothly, like a blackfish.

In no time, he reached the edge of the sea and found the reef he had previously visited.

Tang Huai waded ashore, removed his fins, and switched to a pair of comfortable shoes.

“Today’s meal is pineapple rice, a new recipe by Aunt Miley.”

“Rustle, rustle—”

Tang Huai opened his waterproof backpack, preparing everything. As he spoke, a rustling sound came from behind the reef. Soon, a tall figure emerged.

“Is there tomato sauce in this? Smells good.” Yu You sat down next to Tang Huai, curiously opening the lunchbox. He had been living leisurely in the sea, and the two had maintained a routine of meeting once every half month.

Tang Huai handed over a fork, which Yu You skillfully took.

“Delicious,” Yu You exclaimed with a look of surprise after the first bite, then eagerly devoured the pineapple rice.

He was wearing a dark blue short-sleeved shirt and floral shorts. His fish tail had transformed into legs, and aside from the markings on his face, he looked just like an ordinary person.

Although Yu You was eating heartily, his movements were far from rough; there was a hint of elegance in his manner.

Tang Huai rubbed his nose.

He and Yu You had known each other for a year, and during this time, their interactions seemed to revolve around feeding, waiting, and more feeding…

“I found this in the sea,” Yu You said, finishing the pineapple rice. He then pulled out an item from his pocket.

“What is it?” Tang Huai returned his attention, curious.

Yu You opened his right hand, revealing a small, marble-sized black stone. It was pitch black with some light green patterns on its surface, which were so faint they could be easily overlooked.

“I found it on an old clam. It’s probably a mutated pearl; I thought it looked nice,” Yu You said, a bit embarrassed.

He had discovered the pearl the previous week. The underwater world was full of strange wonders, so finding such a pearl wasn’t particularly unusual. But it had caught his eye, and from the moment he saw it, he knew he wanted to give it to Tang Huai.

He had been looking forward to this moment all week.

After Yu You spoke, Tang Huai didn’t immediately respond.

Yu You felt a bit awkward. He wondered if Tang Huai didn’t like the black pearl; compared to other white pearls, this one certainly lacked appeal.

“It’s not a great quality. There are larger pearls in the sea; I can bring you one next time…” Yu You tried to appear indifferent.

“No need,” Tang Huai cut in before Yu You could finish, taking the black pearl from his hand.

Since they were sitting side by side, their arms unintentionally brushed against each other before quickly pulling away.

Tang Huai looked up. Yu You’s features were well-defined, and under the moonlight, the markings on his right cheek appeared less menacing than before.

“It’s beautiful, thank you,” Tang Huai said, averting his gaze. He had paused when Yu You offered the gift, feeling both surprised and pleasantly caught off guard.

Shaking his head, Tang Huai attributed the reaction to the summer heat at sea.

He examined the black pearl closely. Its surface was crystal-clear, and the light green patterns added a touch of understated luxury.

The pearl was just the right size to be made into a bracelet.

Tang Huai carefully stored the pearl away. Seeing this, Yu You secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In those last five minutes, his nerves had been on edge.

Now full and content, the two began chatting about recent amusing incidents, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

“Flap, flap—”

The two chatted from ten o’clock until midnight. Under the starry sky, just as they were about to continue, two splashing sounds came from about fifty meters away in the sea. A shadow flickered back and forth in the water…

“I should head back now,” Yu You said, glancing at the shadow with a hint of helplessness. It was none other than the whale shark, Da Zhuang, signaling for him to come back and play.

“I’m heading to Hawaii tomorrow. Want to come along?” Tang Huai stood up, putting on his fins. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered to ask.

Hawaii was more than 2,000 nautical miles from Sora Island, and to Tang Huai, Jonathan’s invitation felt like a short trip.

“No, thanks…” Tang Huai’s invitation was sincere, but Yu You looked in the direction of Hawaii and reluctantly shook his head.

It wasn’t because he couldn’t walk on land anymore. The real reason was something else…

Yu You’s expression grew more complicated.

“Next time then,” Tang Huai didn’t press the issue. After over a year of getting to know each other, he respected Yu You’s thoughts and choices.

Soon, the topic shifted.

The two said their goodbyes. Just as when he arrived, Tang Huai agilely dove into the sea, swimming toward Sora Island.

Halfway across the water, Tang Huai popped his head out, waving to Yu You.

Yu You waved back.

Tang Huai resumed swimming and soon disappeared into the night.

“Screech, screech—”

After Tang Huai left, Da Zhuang swam near the reef and called out to Yu You twice. The whale shark’s call was sharp and full of energy.

“Let’s go.” Yu You withdrew his gaze, took off his clothes, and tucked them into a crevice in the reef. His legs transformed back into a fishtail, and like a high arc, he leapt into the sea. Compared to his initial ease, Yu You now seemed a bit heavier with concern.

…

The next afternoon, Tang Huai, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and flip-flops and pulling a small suitcase, arrived at Sora Port, accompanied by the secretary.

“Manager Tang, if we depart now, we should arrive the morning after tomorrow.”

At the port, Captain Desai was applying sunscreen. Seeing Tang Huai approach, he warmly greeted him. The sunscreen was from CC’s “Forest Moisture” collection. Ever since Amanda’s forest-themed advertisement became a hit, Abel had been thrilled and generously sent Tang Huai ten sets of the limited edition CC Forest Moisture products.

Tang Huai couldn’t use them all, so he kept one set for himself and gave the rest to Xie Yunshu, Aunt Miley, Alang, and others. CC’s products were not gender-specific. Captain Desai, who took pride in his appearance, had claimed two sets. Say what you will, but CC’s sunscreen was indeed superior to regular brands.

Tang Huai chuckled at Captain Desai’s expression.

Captain Desai’s initial loyalty score was 95, and it had remained there for the past two months. Tang Huai hadn’t intended to increase the loyalty score, but unexpectedly, after giving out the CC products, Desai’s loyalty soared to 98.

Sometimes, unexpected efforts bear the most fruit. Tang Huai became curious about what 100% loyalty would look like. However, after all this time working on the island, he had adopted a more laid-back approach—he decided to let loyalty develop naturally.

After a brief chat, the two boarded the ship.

The deck of the Great Tang No. 2 was bustling. Some tourists were preparing to head home, while others had just arrived, dragging their luggage ashore. Whether embarking or disembarking, everyone seemed to be brimming with excitement.

The Great Tang Resort had given them countless surprises.

It was six o’clock in the evening. Tang Huai dragged his suitcase to the VIP cabin, one of the most luxurious cabins on the Great Tang No. 2, designed to the world’s highest standards, costing $30,000 per night.

“A Chinese guest? A low-key one,” murmured a few British guests as they saw Tang Huai pass by in the lounge area on the third floor of the VIP cabin.

The VIP cabin offered not just exclusive services but also served as a networking hub for the wealthy. While everyone was there to enjoy the amenities, they also had intentions of forming new connections.

These intentions were universal, regardless of nationality.

Most of the guests in the VIP cabin were dressed in custom-made attire, casually striking up conversations and exchanging pleasantries.

The VIP cabin had over thirty guests, each exuding the aura befitting a VIP, regardless of their personality. Amidst this refined atmosphere, Tang Huai, in his casual short-sleeve shirt and flip-flops, stormed in like an unexpected intruder, making a noticeable splash.

The guests subtly observed Tang Huai as he entered.

However, Tang Huai paid no mind to their gazes. He simply pulled his suitcase and briskly headed to his cabin. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from their sight.

“Should we approach him?”

Two young women watched Tang Huai’s back thoughtfully. They were socialites from the elite circles of China, well-versed in the nuances of high society. They weren’t the type to judge someone by their clothing. From Tang Huai’s casual attire and the confident way he carried himself, they concluded he must be a wealthy man flying under the radar.

They had purchased the VIP tickets specifically to snag a rich partner. Initially, their target was a South American millionaire, but Tang Huai now seemed like a more suitable candidate.

Rich South Americans could be hard to win over, but a Chinese man in their own social circle gave them a natural advantage.

“Let’s make a move tonight,” one of them suggested, feeling self-assured.

The VIP restaurant was only so big; they were confident they could strike up a conversation.

However, that evening, they were left a bit bewildered.

During dinner time, Tang Huai didn’t show up. Not only that, but several waiters were seen entering and exiting Tang Huai’s cabin, pushing food carts filled with items from the luxurious menu of the Great Tang No. 2. The guest in cabin A01 seemed to be ordering lavishly, as if money were no object.

A01 was Tang Huai’s cabin number, a designation not just anyone could reserve, regardless of wealth.

From their observations, even the ship’s captain, Desai, frequently visited cabin A01. Desai was known for being extravagant, fond of luxury, and having a cool demeanor. There had been instances where wealthy Middle Eastern businessmen invited him to dinner, only for Desai to decline, citing work.

This was a captain with character.

Now, the guests couldn’t help but be intrigued. While Tang Huai wasn’t a celebrity, and most people didn’t know his true identity, his actions piqued their curiosity.

The two young women felt a bit frustrated. They had been closely monitoring the movements around cabin A01, but throughout the entire time, the guest inside never made an appearance.

Why spend so much on a ticket and not even come out?

Seeing no opportunity with Tang Huai, the two had no choice but to resume their pursuit of the South American millionaire, who was proving difficult to win over.

In this state of mild frustration, the Great Tang No. 2 finally docked at Honolulu Harbor on Monday at nine in the morning.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️